In the beginning

In the beginning there was nothing, although that is very hard to imagine. Then there was a big bang and the universe started, except that there are now other theories about how true that is. There is really no such thing as a natural vacuum as where there is nothing small particles will pop in and out of existence. Just as I had got to grips with the idea of atoms and electrons spinning round them we have to do a rethink. We have to get our heads round string theory.